Caduceus Mercurius
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Some of you may find this interesting. I certainly do.
The Use of Music in Psychedelic (LSD) Psychotherapy
by Helen L. Bonny and Walter N. Pahnke
In our ever-shrinking world, music listening of the future may of necessity be less a matter of personal choice than of predetermined selection. What, then, should our music be? What knowledge has man acquired on the efficacy of certain sounds for certain human conditions? Is this knowledge adequate for the man of the future who, made more sensitive to his inner involvements, may require for the sake of his own health and happiness an auditory environment which mirrors and implements his deepest needs? It is paramount that every effort be made to understand the nature of these needs and how they may be served by music.
Because of the all-pervasive qualities of music, statements about its specific use can best be accepted in the light of empirical evidence. An example is the use of music in conjunction with ingestion of drugs in primitive cultures (Nettl, 1956). A recent return to similar use has occurred in the United States culture with the introduction of psychedelic drugs and, more particularly, as the use of these drugs relates to therapeutic procedures.
The group of research scientists at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC) who work with LSD and other psychedelic drugs as agents of therapeutic intervention for patients with alcoholism, narcotic addiction and psychological distress associated with terminal cancer employ a specific type of drug therapy called psychedelic peak psychotherapy (Pahnke et a], 1970). "Psychedelic peak" refers to the type of transcendental or cosmic experience that can occur during the session, and "psychotherapy" refers to the human interaction that is prerequisite to personal growth and session preparation.
The psychedelic session is only one element of the total treatment milieu. The patient undergoes a screening procedure of psychiatric interviews and psychological testing before he is accepted for treatment. Then, prior to the actual administration of the drug, he participates in from 10 to 20 hours of intensive psychotherapy. After the drug session, he receives as many hours of therapy as are necessary for the integration of insights gained, and also takes a battery of psychological tests.
The nature and outcome of a drug session have been found to depend upon three basic variables: drug dosage, set and setting. Music appears to be involved significantly in the crucial extra-drug variables of both set and setting. "Set' refers to factors within the patient, such as personality structure, life history, expectations, preparation, ability to trust and relinquish control, and aesthetic appreciation of music and art. "Setting" refers to factors outside the individual, such as the physical environment in which the drug is administered, the psychological and emotional atmosphere to which the patient is exposed, and the type, quality and mood of the presented music. The music therapist, often present as one of the therapists during the drug session, has met the patient during at least some of the therapy hours, has come to know his musical history and preferences and has played for him several recorded selections that win be used in his drug session. The provision of a therapist of each sex to be in attendance during the psychedelic session provides an available range of male-female roles which may constitute an important psychodynamic variable during the experience.
The team of therapists at MPRC have experimented with use of music in more than 600 drug sessions during a period of several years and agree that music is a very effective stimulus and complement to drug action. A recent study by Gaston and Eagle (1970) on the function of music in LSD therapy concluded that the presence of music is much preferable to its absence as rated by patient preference and treatment results. Let us consider first why music is effective, and second, what function it serves in the psychedelic drug session.
WAYS IN WHICH MUSIC COMPLEMENTS THERAPEUTIC OBJECTIVES
Music complements the therapeutic objectives in five interrelated ways: 1) by helping the patient relinquish usual controls and enter more fully into his inner world of experience; 2) by facilitating the release of intense emotionality; 3) by contributing toward a peak experience; 4) by providing continuity in an experience of timelessness; 5) by directing and structuring the experience.
Read the rest (including sample playlists) here:
http://www.csp.org/practices/entheogens/docs/bonny-music.html
The Use of Music in Psychedelic (LSD) Psychotherapy
by Helen L. Bonny and Walter N. Pahnke
In our ever-shrinking world, music listening of the future may of necessity be less a matter of personal choice than of predetermined selection. What, then, should our music be? What knowledge has man acquired on the efficacy of certain sounds for certain human conditions? Is this knowledge adequate for the man of the future who, made more sensitive to his inner involvements, may require for the sake of his own health and happiness an auditory environment which mirrors and implements his deepest needs? It is paramount that every effort be made to understand the nature of these needs and how they may be served by music.
Because of the all-pervasive qualities of music, statements about its specific use can best be accepted in the light of empirical evidence. An example is the use of music in conjunction with ingestion of drugs in primitive cultures (Nettl, 1956). A recent return to similar use has occurred in the United States culture with the introduction of psychedelic drugs and, more particularly, as the use of these drugs relates to therapeutic procedures.
The group of research scientists at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC) who work with LSD and other psychedelic drugs as agents of therapeutic intervention for patients with alcoholism, narcotic addiction and psychological distress associated with terminal cancer employ a specific type of drug therapy called psychedelic peak psychotherapy (Pahnke et a], 1970). "Psychedelic peak" refers to the type of transcendental or cosmic experience that can occur during the session, and "psychotherapy" refers to the human interaction that is prerequisite to personal growth and session preparation.
The psychedelic session is only one element of the total treatment milieu. The patient undergoes a screening procedure of psychiatric interviews and psychological testing before he is accepted for treatment. Then, prior to the actual administration of the drug, he participates in from 10 to 20 hours of intensive psychotherapy. After the drug session, he receives as many hours of therapy as are necessary for the integration of insights gained, and also takes a battery of psychological tests.
The nature and outcome of a drug session have been found to depend upon three basic variables: drug dosage, set and setting. Music appears to be involved significantly in the crucial extra-drug variables of both set and setting. "Set' refers to factors within the patient, such as personality structure, life history, expectations, preparation, ability to trust and relinquish control, and aesthetic appreciation of music and art. "Setting" refers to factors outside the individual, such as the physical environment in which the drug is administered, the psychological and emotional atmosphere to which the patient is exposed, and the type, quality and mood of the presented music. The music therapist, often present as one of the therapists during the drug session, has met the patient during at least some of the therapy hours, has come to know his musical history and preferences and has played for him several recorded selections that win be used in his drug session. The provision of a therapist of each sex to be in attendance during the psychedelic session provides an available range of male-female roles which may constitute an important psychodynamic variable during the experience.
The team of therapists at MPRC have experimented with use of music in more than 600 drug sessions during a period of several years and agree that music is a very effective stimulus and complement to drug action. A recent study by Gaston and Eagle (1970) on the function of music in LSD therapy concluded that the presence of music is much preferable to its absence as rated by patient preference and treatment results. Let us consider first why music is effective, and second, what function it serves in the psychedelic drug session.
WAYS IN WHICH MUSIC COMPLEMENTS THERAPEUTIC OBJECTIVES
Music complements the therapeutic objectives in five interrelated ways: 1) by helping the patient relinquish usual controls and enter more fully into his inner world of experience; 2) by facilitating the release of intense emotionality; 3) by contributing toward a peak experience; 4) by providing continuity in an experience of timelessness; 5) by directing and structuring the experience.
Read the rest (including sample playlists) here:
http://www.csp.org/practices/entheogens/docs/bonny-music.html
